


Wires

by DimensionSponge



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Data has feelings sort of, Data is briefly a terminator, Dismemberment, Pain, Self harm reference, Some Fluff, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-06-16 02:32:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 10,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15427107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DimensionSponge/pseuds/DimensionSponge
Summary: My first fic on here! Be nice.Inspired by this one line in Gorrlaus‘s Future by Love where they’re talking about Lal and Geordi thinks “They would just have to be grateful Starfleet didn't order Data off the ship and into a lab, forcing him to build new Soong-like models until his fingers wore down to the poly-alloy skeleton. Probably with a crazed Maddox hanging over his shoulder and watching his every move.”And my horrible brain was just like ‘but what if that happened’Takes place before the series events. I’ve decided to make this an AU and might write about it more.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The prologue is a bit unnecessary to the story, but I really enjoyed writing it and it’s adorable. It’s basically him on the Tripoli on the way to hell- I mean the science station, and it’s mostly him being adorable while attempting to human. I found Captain Thorsson’s name on the Internet and know nothing else about him, and made up everyone else.

Data remembered fondly- well, as fondly as an android could- the few weeks he spent on a starship named the USS Tripoli, as they brought him to ‘The Daystrom Annex’. He had been awakened by an away team, who had come to investigate the disappearance of the colony. Data had stared into their eyes as they crowded around him in amazement, their mission forgotten.  
In an effort to dispel their concerns, he shared with them the fact that he contained the knowledge of the colonists, and that it might be of help to them. Apparently, they had managed to find nothing else but empty farmland, and with that they beamed up to the ship with him.  
Once there, he met with captain Thorsson, who was waiting in the transporter room to meet this mysterious golden-eyed alien who had been found asleep on the planet and somehow knew all about the colony. The captain quizzed him as they walked together to sickbay for his examination.  
“I am Captain Jon Jakob Thorsson of the USS Tripoli. Do you mind telling us what you are, and how you came to be on Omicron Theta?”  
“I am Data.”  
“Sorry?”  
Data tilted his head, unsure of what prompted the Captain’s reaction. “My name is Data. As for how I came to be... I am uncertain. My first memory begins only a few minutes ago, when I opened my eyes and saw the landing party.”   
“Where are we going?”  
“We’re going to Sickbay, just to examine you.”  
Soon, they arrived at ‘sickbay’ and were greeted by a Doctor Bleeker.   
“Is this the man of the hour? Let’s have a look at you.”  
She sat him down on one of the biobeds and gave him a scan. Data tilted his head again when he saw her expression change. She glanced at the monitors on the wall multiple times. None of them showed any activity.  
She took the captain into a corner, her face hidden by her short black bob. However, Data could hear what she was saying.   
“I think maybe we should get an engineer in here.”  
“Why?”  
“I get a heartbeat and breathing, but no life signs or brainwaves. In fact, he’s not organic at all. I think he’s an android.”  
This piqued his curiosity, and Data got up off the biobed and crept toward them as they were conversing. He would later learn to walk with heavier footfalls so as not to startle people by ‘appearing behind them like a weeping angel’.   
“It would explain why he doesn’t remember anything before today, yet he already appears fully grown.”  
“Are you talking about me?”  
He registered them suddenly contracting their muscles as he spoke, recoiling away from him. He attempted to emulate this behaviour, stepping backward slightly and jerking his arms upward, which earned him a chuckle from Dr Bleeker. The captain elbowed her and addressed Data.  
“Yes. You see, we’ve discovered you’re an artificial lifeform, an android. What I want to know is who created you, and did it so well.”

That was when they first agreed to bring him to the science station. On the way, as well as experiencing starship life firsthand, Data had an opportunity to learn about human interaction. Many of the people on board gave him strange looks, and although he had little prior knowledge of humans, Data was compelled to emulate them. He had a habit of turning up in the ship’s ten-forward and sitting at tables with groups of people, staring at them silently and waiting for them to continue their conversation. He noted varying reactions to this behaviour. A few groups would awkwardly get up and leave. Some, after a while, eventually continued, at which point he tried to join in and offer his knowledge, which wasn’t much yet. After a few more times, they would include him more in the conversation, even calling him over to their table. However, his presence seemed to divide the ship, with certain people unwilling to acknowledge him as a living being, which was particularly unhelpful, as at this point he himself was unsure.


	2. The arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Maddox arrives, fights the captain and mistakes Data for a carrier pigeon.

Once at the station, the leading scientist beamed over and met with the captain. They were gone for a long time, after which Data was summoned to the Captain’s ready room. He was waiting outside for them to open the door as they finished their conversation.

“He’s a quick learner. I’m sure he won’t give you any trouble, but you know how young people are.”

“I think you’re projecting, captain. Most of what it does is learned behaviour, yes?  
An imitation.”

“I suppose. I shall be interested to hear what the Daystrom institute discovers.”

Thorsson then opened the door to the android waiting outside.   
“Ah, you’re early. Data, this is Commander Bruce Maddox of the Daystrom institute. You’re going to go with him for awhile.”

“Why?”

“Well, you’re unique. There aren’t any others like you. Starfleet wants to know what makes you tick.”

Maddox stepped forward slightly, with an expression of mild consternation at being ignored. However, he did not interrupt the captain.

“You’re going to a science station where they’ll run some tests on you, get an idea of your structure and how you work. Maddox here hopes to replicate you.”

Data twitched his head at that. ”The prospect of meeting others like me sounds interesting.”

“Yes, and you’re going to help him with that.”

“What does it entail?”

“Tell him.”

Maddox said to the captain, “I will run a-“

“No. Him.”

Reluctantly he turned to address Data instead. “We will run a full diagnostic and evaluate... your current software, transfer your memories into the starbase main computer and begin a detailed analysis of your construction.”

“I see. How long will I remain with you?”

“Indefinitely.”

Silence followed. As Data considered this, Thorsson proceeded to give Maddox the evil eye. Maddox said incredulously, “Surely we’re not going to release it.”

“That’s up to Starfleet to decide,” the captain growled.

Bruce was clearly not happy with this answer. “It’s a machine,” He cried. “A ship’s computer can’t just leave whenever it feels like it, so neither can it. Think of the potential here.” 

“I agree, but we can’t ignore his rights.”

“Rights?! It’s not alive, it’s not sentient, it’s got no rights.”

“We don’t know that! If you’d seen him interact with people, you’d think he-“

Data watched the back and forth exchange like a tennis match. He was mildly confused, for want of a better term, at his lack of inclusion in the conversation that revolved solely around him. 

“I do not object to your testing.”

The two men stopped, turning to look at Data. 

“However, I wish to learn more about the universe, and so I do not want to be confined. Whether or not I am sentient, I wish to explore this for myself.”

Maddox reluctantly made eye contact with him. “You’re still coming in for testing.”

“Ok.”

He opened his mouth, then closed it again, looking at Data and the captain before fleeing the room.

“Am I not socialising adequately?”

“You’re doing fine, Data. It’s him that’s the problem.”

***

Data joined Maddox on the transporter pad holding something in his hands. 

“What is that?”

“The Complete Sherlock Holmes. It is a gift from the captain.”

“Hm.” He looked skeptically at it, and murmured to himself, “I didn’t think he’d be giving me presents after that.”

“It was intended for me. Do you want to have it?”

“Oh! Well. Um, you probably won’t be doing much reading where you’re going.”

“Why not?”

As he was about to answer, the Captain and doctor came in to see them off. He was surprised when Dr Bleeker stepped onto the transporter pad and wrapped Data in a big hug. 

“I wish we could’ve gotten to know each other better! We’re going to miss you.”

“And I you.”

The commander found himself staring as she rocked Data back and forth, unwilling to let go. Eventually she turned to him and said “Just don’t blow him up, okay?”

He was suddenly unable to answer, and had to make do with nodding nervously.

“Tch. You men,” she sighed, shooting him a knowing grin, before leaving.

The captain cracked a smile at the exchange, but it did little to ease his serious mood. He stepped onto the pad, giving Data a pat on the shoulder before changing his mind and hugging him as well. 

Before retreating, he looked the commander in the eyes and said earnestly, “Take care of him, Maddox.”

“I intend to,” he replied mildly.

“...Energise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HMMMMM


	3. Paint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This sort of diverted a smidge from Data being forced to build dudes to Data being tested every second of the day. The original point of the story will happen, though, I promise.  
> Gerdi Leferg appears. Data paints. Maddox is unfair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took forever for me to get over whether this was “accurate”.

The first thing Data said to Maddox after they had beamed to the station was “Your complexion is consistent with sleep deprivation.”  
Maddox glanced at him briefly, but did not answer. He was busy setting up the monitors, and plugging Data in.

Data found he had been beamed into a cylindrical tube equipped with all sorts of wires and ports coming down from the ceiling, some of which were being attached now. It was in a circular white room, whose walls were covered by various screens and monitors, all of which had workstations beneath them.

A collection of people in blue uniform were gathered around, observing him. They chattered and discussed. One was scanning him with a tricorder, and dictating “24.6 kilograms tripolymer composites, 11.8 kilograms molybdenum-cobalt sheeting, 1.3 kilograms bioplast sheeting...”

Maddox entered a combination into a monitor, and Data froze as he experienced temporary overload. He pitched forward and banged his head on the tube, .  
“Sixty trillion operations per second, 100,000 terabytes storage.”  
“That was not pleasant.”  
“Well, we need to test you.”  
“I may be able to tell you such information myself.”

 

Maddox ignored him, although upon finishing the procedure he began unplugging Data and opened the tube.  
“Alright, out you get.”

He stumbled out, still somewhat unsteady.

“Now, onto the learning tests. Ensign LaForge?”

A young man with a VISOR looked up from his station, and came running over to them. “What do you need me to do?” he asked.

“I’m going to analyse how its brain processes new information, and I need you to take readings. Can you do that for me?”

“Sure.”

“Good. Follow me.”

Following the commander, Data wondered what he had in store next.

***

Data was sat down in a chair in what appeared to be a general quarters. The room was rather featureless, save for the various paintings which lined it. The works were comprised mostly of assorted geometric shapes used to represent forms, such as a field of flowers each comprised of hexagons. He noted that there were some unfinished, piled up in a corner. 

The ensign came into the room and greeted him. “Your name’s Data, isn’t it? Hi, I’m Geordi.” 

“Hello, Geordi,” he replied, and shook his hand. The man smiled in reply.  
“I’m gonna have to plug you into the wall here, so, uh... just sit tight.”  
Geordi moved behind him and began to open up the panel on the side of his head. He attached a cable to the exposed socket, the galaxy pf lights around it blinking rapidly as Data surveyed his surroundings. 

As he observed an interesting portrait of a man made from grey squares, Data queried “What is the purpose of my being here?”

“The commander’s gonna teach you to paint, see how you learn.” As Data started looking around the room, Geordi put a hand on his shoulder. “I dunno where he is now, getting colours or something. This whole thing seems a bit unorthodox to me, but I’m just an ensign. Between the two of us, he’s a bit-”

Geordi bit his tongue and ducked his head sheepishly as the commander appeared in the door, paints in hand and a canvas under his arm. 

“Are you done?” Geordi shrugged noncommittally. Maddox sighed and sat down next to Data, propping up the canvas on an easel in front of him. 

“You hold the brush like this.”

Acutely aware of the cable sticking out the back of his head, Data was nevertheless absorbed by the lesson he was now being given in painting. At first, he attempted to paint in vertical sections, until under Maddox’ guidance he learned to paint the general shapes first and add highlights and shade on top.

At the conclusion of the lesson, he was packing away the paints when the commander ran into him. Electric blue paint rained down onto their uniforms and soaked into the carpet. The commander’s private cleaning bot sprang into action, whirring around his feet as he stood still, glaring at him.  
His previous professional openness gone, Maddox’s eyes were hard as flint. Data sensed that something had changed.

 

He was taken back to the lab and laid out on an examination table. The other cyberneticists were already there, waiting eagerly for him.

“Stay still,” Maddox commanded. 

Data barely knew what was happening before his panels were opened again, only this time they were rooting around inside him. He’d never had his wires touched before, causing him to jolt away. At around the third time, Maddox grew tired of the interruption and pointed a modified painstik at him.

“I said, stay still.”

Silent, Data obeyed, still unused to the sensation of people touching his servos. He kept still, but grew steadily more uncomfortable as the examination progressed.  
They detached his arms and legs, pulled back his skin, stimulated wires to see what they controlled. He was intermittently gripped by sensations of tingling as his synthetic muscles seized up. He decided he did not like this at all, and told them so, but he was ignored. Suddenly and without warning, all his senses were on fire. His vision cut out from overload, and every fibre in his body braced against the burning sensation that consumed him. He let out a high pitched screech, and then the world stopped flashing. The other scientists were staring fearfully at Maddox, some with expressions of open shock, as he silently returned his painstik to his belt. His next words were  
“We’ve learned enough for one day.”

 

Data’s first week passed in a similar manner. Each morning would test the capabilities of his positronic net, and he would then be put through various physical and mental tests before having his insides examined minutely by Maddox and his cronies. Data would dread the day’s end, as it meant being pulled apart without consent, or put through some sort of trial involving uncomfortable conditions. He learned not to make a fuss, or he would be subjected to the examination for longer. Also, his new friend Geordi would sometimes drop in, and he did not want to worry him by voicing his discomfort.

One evening, Maddox had been searching around Data’s back, looking for the seam to open up the panel, when Data warned him, “Careful, you are near my off switch.”

This news seemed to shock him. “You-you have an off switch?”

“Yes, on the small of my back. I would not recommend-“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *roundabout plays*


	4. Awake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spongebob narrator: three weeks later...

Data awoke to find himself in pieces. His head was lying on a monitor across from the examination table. Ensign LaForge was standing over his body, and Data assumed he had reactivated him. He was looking around, and caught Data’s eye. 

“Hi...”

“I have been unconscious for 3 weeks.”

“Yeah, about that...”  
He was briefly distracted by a hand on the floor across the room. It was a slate grey colour, much unlike his own.  
“...They tried making another one of you.”

“Evidently. That is why I was brought here.”  
Geordi came over to get his head off the table. Data found the experience of being carried somewhat disorientating.  
“They tried impressing your memory engrams onto him, but there weren’t many of your own memories there. How... I was gonna say how old are you, but-“  
“I have been active for two months, counting this period of inactivity.” 

Looking ruefully at his feet, Geordi sighed.  
“Yeah. Sorry I didn’t get to you earlier. They hardly ever let me in here.”

Once he had finished putting Data back together, Geordi walked him over to the tube in the middle of the room, which contained a grey torso with a head attached. Upon their approach, its eyes flicked open. They were a piercing cobalt blue. Data tilted his head, and it looked vacantly at him and did the same. They didn’t have the same face, the other having a longer, more square face and a smaller nose. 

In the background he heard Geordi talking. “They call him ‘beta’. He doesn’t really do all that much, and they’re a bit stuck, so they wanted to get your help. Aaand here they are now.”

Maddox entered the room and marched towards them. “I see the Ensign took the liberty of waking you up,” he enunciated, looking pointedly at Geordi. “We were going to ask you for help.”

“It seems you never ask him about much of anything,” Geordi muttered. Maddox bristled at hearing this.

“What was that, Ensign?”

“I said you don’t ask him about anything.”

Maddox sighed, and spoke as if to a small child. “Geordi. It can’t think for itself. Asking it is pointless.”

“He can so think for himself!”

“It reacts as a human would react, because that is what it was programmed to do. If you can’t keep to yourself, I will be forced to relieve you of duty.”

Stymied, Geordi clammed up and had to content himself with glaring at Maddox under his VISOR. He continued ordering Data as if nothing had happened.

“We can replicate a variety of predesigned circuits and devices. However, despite years of study, and even now having your internal specs, we have been unable to replicate a working positronic brain like yours. As you can see, Beta here is a bit...” he trailed off as the android in question stared at him and murmured, “Hello, world.”

In spite of Maddox’ blatant disrespect of him, Data did not hold it against the other android. “I will attempt to fix him.”  
He began work soon afterwards, and continued well into the night. He was spurred on by the knowledge that, if he failed to make this android work, it would probably be recycled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I COULDN’T THINK OF A BETTER NAME I’M SORRY)  
> They wouldn’t have given him a human name, so...  
> He’s gonna change his name later on, though, if I keep writing in this AU.


	5. Beta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you skip over the building montage to get to the action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve actually done a bunch more than is on here, but I keep going back and changing things so I keep not wanting to upload until I’m sure it’s done.

Drawing on the knowledge of 411 colonists, Data’s lightning fast hands learned to assemble ever more complex circuits. The cyberneticists watched intently as he trialled, dismantled and rebuilt at blinding speed. He was vaguely aware of them taking notes and measurements as he worked. He even caught one of them with a speed gun one time.

As he did not sleep, he continued working at all hours of the day. This did not bother him in the least, and he grew accustomed to his station. Cyberneticists would mill around him, doing their own work. His sensitive ears would hear and process their conversations in the background. They discussed similar things to what he was working on, but most never addressed him directly except to give orders. Maddox came up to him and glanced over his shoulder. Upon inspecting the fruits of the android’s labour, he remarked,  
“It’s coming along well.” As Data turned to look at him, he seemed to remember himself and left.

 

After many hours of toil, the other android was fully active. It was an innocuous beginning. He simply was.  
“This is different,” he remarked. 

“Yes. I have relaid your neural pathways and solidified their connections, improving the communication between different parts of your brain.”

“That is much better. Thank you.”

Upon hearing the conversation from across the room, Maddox sprinted over with a tricorder. 

“Oh, Data, why don’t you tell me these things,” he grumbled. “Let’s see what kind of a job you’ve done of it.” 

Brushing past Data, Maddox hovered around Beta in an almost anxious manner. Glancing around awkwardly, Beta retreated slightly from him. Evidently he had picked up a fear of the Commander from his borrowed memory engrams.

“Commander,” Data cautioned, aware of the other’s nervousness. Maddox paid him no heed, and released Beta from the tube, beckoning him.

“Follow me.”

Data realised Maddox would probably do the same things to Beta that he’d done to him. He clutched the other’s arm impulsively, refusing to let him go.

“What is so troubling about him?” Beta questioned.

Maddox turned and fixed Data with that hard stare. He relented, releasing Beta to him. The other seemed unwilling to go, but followed anyway as Data looked on helplessly.


	6. The offspring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lal.

It would be some weeks before he saw Beta again. In the meantime, he was ordered to create more androids. In another time and place, he might have been glad to not be alone, but here he was unsettled by the thought of bringing yet more others into such an unforgiving environment.

He still underwent the examinations, of course. They were always finding new conditions to subject him to, wanting to see if any androids built to his specifications could take this or that. Now that there was another android, they weren’t so worried about preserving Data. They would wait for him to finish his current task, then switch him off and bring him to the testing rooms as it was getting harder and harder to make him go willingly. After one particularly bad radiation test which robbed him of his balance and turned his vision bright green, he took to covering his off switch, always having a hand behind his back. He no longer trusted his senses to warn of their approach, as they seemed to have figured out how to switch them off remotely. He would suddenly go deaf and that was when he knew they were coming. They often had to use the painstik to get him to come.

 

He practically jumped out of his skin when Maddox appeared behind him one day.

“This new one you’ve made appears promising. I look forward to seeing it in action.”

Thankfully, this time he didn’t try to turn Data off. Even so, he eyed the commander warily, not going back to work until he’d left the room.  
Maddox evidently reported this progress to the others, as after the encounter, the humans began to address him more, asking him for reports on his progress.   
His creations began occasionally showing signs of activity unbidden, with some able to sustain basic functions for hours at a time before their neural nets disintegrated. 

 

When being removed for his latest examination, Data passed Beta sitting idly in a corner.  
His bright blue eyes were now shadowed by heavy lids, giving him an impression of being tired. One of his facial panels was missing, exposing the wires underneath. He spoke in a heavy monotone.  
“Well, I see what you meant.”  
Data looked back worriedly at the dejected android as he was shepherded down the corridor and into that room.

 

During all of his listening, the android had heard talk of children among other things. A bald man named Simmons seemed to discuss them at length, and how they ‘got up to mischief’ when he was not at home. He had also received data on them from the colonists, and learned it was customary to give them names that provoked emotion. These could include emotional words themselves, names of previous family members, beautiful flowers...   
He paused briefly over his newest attempt. Something told him this one would be different. Data considered names from all languages, before finally settling on Lal, the hindu word for beloved.   
Another reactionary anomaly occurred. A strange sensation in his thoracic cavity and a buildup of moisture in his eyes. His diagnostic, like the last few times, failed to return an explanation. He wiped away the moisture and continued making the final tweaks.

As he finished up, Data noticed the humans gradually gathering around him. They were watching him eagerly. He was used to the sensation by now, but not to them being so close. He had the humans’ attention now. They were all clustered around as Lal opened her eyes.   
She tilted her head mechanically, saying “hello, father.”   
This elicited a strange response from the humans. Earlier, they seemed excited, but now their mood seemed more negative. Maddox in particular seemed displeased with Lal’s choice of first words.  
“What is the meaning of this?”  
Data, confused, defined the word ‘father’ for him.  
No response. A young woman rolled her eyes.   
“Let it go, Bruce.”

Geordi’s reaction was one much more similar to the humans off this station. He put his hands up to his face excitedly, saying, “Oh. My. God. This is amazing, you’re a father! What’s her name?”

“I have called her Lal.”

“That’s gorgeous. I hope you have fun being a dad.”

Data smiled at him ruefully. Geordi was still mostly unaware of how they were treated, as he was on maintenance now and rarely got to see the androids. He wondered if that was because Geordi was too attached to them. Data had certainly gotten attached to him. 

Out of nowhere, Simmons placed a hand on Data’s shoulder.   
“We’d like to run some tests on it if you don’t mind.”  
Data just stared at him. Simmons backed away anxiously, and Data moved in front of Lal. He had caught Simmons’ hand when Geordi stepped in.

“Hey, Data, calm down. I’ll try and make sure they don’t-“

“You’ll do no such thing, ensign, ” Maddox said coldly. He reached for his belt when Lal stepped out innocently from behind Data and went to him. Data moved to stop her, but Maddox pointed the stick at Lal, causing him to retreat immediately. She regarded it curiously before he put it away, and he led her out with the other scientists.

They did not come back that day, and Data occupied himself with waiting by the door. He found himself anticipating Lal’s return, and was disappointed when it did not come. 

Geordi came up to find him sitting on the floor next to Beta, who was absently picking at his seams. At least Data had found his facial panel for him. He crouched down to talk to them.

“What’s taking them so long?”

Data didn’t take his eyes off the door. “They are most likely up to the radiation test by now, though they seem to be intensifying their speed now that they have three of us.”

Geordi’s brow furrowed. “Radiation test? Did they do that to both of you?”

Data stopped, realising his mistake. Beta quietly filled in the gaps for him.  
“Yes. Along with heat, magnetic fields and putting us in a vaccuum.”

“Data, why didn’t you tell me?! I had no idea!”

The android was staring at his feet. “I did not want to worry you. You would not have been able to do anything.”

“I should report this,” Geordi huffed, getting to his feet.

Beta sighed dejectedly. “They probably won’t believe us.”

“Either way, we have to get you out of here.”

Data became suddenly alert, and shushed them.  
Now that the room was silent, he could hear a voice down the hall. 

“...and no, I will not have it released. It is not a sentient life-form, and to release it into the world, at least without studying its inner workings first, would be dangerous.”

He identified it to be Maddox, evidently talking to someone. 

“...I am aware it may be destroyed, which is why I instructed it to replicate itself. Its current attempts have been useful for determining mechanics, but provide no insight into how it will behave outside a controlled setting. We must make sure they don’t put their own safety over those of humans. They seem to have a self-preservation instinct, even after first activation.”

Data frowned. 

“That’s not good,” Beta murmured.

Geordi was confused. “I don’t hear anything.”

Neither of them answered Geordi, and continued to wait in silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, things are picking up now. Maddox is an extreme tool.


	7. Daughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: extreme sad approaching

The scientists returned the next morning, and Data’s first action was to pose a question to Maddox.  
“When will I see Lal again?”

Maddox pinched the bridge of his nose, blinking his bleary eyes.  
“Who?”

“My daughter. I neglected to inform you of her name.”

Maddox frowned, holding Data’s gaze for longer than the normal amount. He seemed to be searching for something as he replied, “Its tests should be finished today, why?”

“I wish to see her,” he replied simply. “She is special to me.”

Maddox took this with a grain of salt, refusing to look into his eyes. “You’ll see her when you see her.” His expression then became one of puzzlement. “How are you capable of finding things ‘special’?”

Data did not know the answer to this, and so did not respond. He narrowed his eyes as well.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were copying me.”

“I am. It is part of my programming to seek out human contact.”  
The point flew over Bruce’s head. Nevertheless, he was curious about one thing. “Is that why you’re always looking for Laforge?”  
Data paused momentarily before answering simply, “I like him.” He then proceeded to look for Geordi, spying him enter the room and promptly gravitating to him. 

“I take it she’s not back,” Geordi called out to him as he approached.  
“No. Maddox was unhelpful.”   
He sighed, glaring at the ground and then at Maddox across the room. “Thought so. You guys deserve better than this.”  
Data was standing completely still, looking out into the hallway past Geordi. He wasn’t even bothering to blink. Geordi regarded him worriedly, and was about to go, when he suddenly stopped to hug Data.   
Data had no idea how to respond to this, and could not formulate an action because his systems filled with a strange warmth. All too soon Geordi let go and went past him into the lab. 

In spite of the distraction he felt, Data returned to his station. Soon after, he detected a slightly sweet silicon smell. She was back. 

He was off like a shot, and caused quite a stir when he rushed away from his station for no apparent reason. Lal was led into the room, looking the same as ever, though she turned away from the humans until she noticed her father.

He greeted her with a ‘hug’, approaching her with straight arms before folding them around her torso. The room was filled with stray chuckles, and judging by this he did not do it right. Nevertheless, he did not wish to let go, and apparently neither did she.

After she was released, she continued to hover around Data’s station. She was unwilling to go near the humans now, and was visibly upset. Whether she had emotions or not, she had been hurt by these experiences so early in her life.

Data attempted to divert her attention by saying, “We have regrettably not had a chance to talk yet.” 

“What are you doing, Father?”

“I am creating another android, as per my orders.”

“Why?”

Data ‘thought’ a moment, before remembering he did not need to emulate human behaviour around Lal. “They most likely plan to create machines to take the place of humans in dangerous situations.”

Lal’s voice cracked as she mused, “If that is like what just happened, I dislike the thought of being in a dangerous situation.”

Data gave her another ‘hug’. He decided not to let them take her again. 

***  
The scientists left early that night when Data took Lal into a corner and refused to come out. Beta was gone also, so for the first time it was just the two of them. Still, Data did not relax his hold until Lal asked him a question.

“What is a starship?”

Data jumped a bit, then released her. “Why do you ask?”

“They were talking about me ‘serving on a starship’ and some of the scenarios apparently took place on a starship. What is a starship?”

“A starship is effectively a large vehicle that is used for transport through space at large speeds. It is much larger than the station we are on, and has amenities designed to sustain a population of hundreds.”

She paused infinitesimally to process before asking,   
“Why do they want me to go on one?”

“Starships are used for exploration and research, which can be dangerous, and they do not wish to put themselves in danger. Additionally, we are capable of completing tasks that humans would find impossible.”

“Have you been on one?”

“Yes. I was rescued from a planet by the crew of a starship, and spent some weeks with them.   
In anticipation of her next question, he added, “They were much nicer than the people on this station. They taught me about the universe and humanity, but I still have a lot to learn.”

“I want to learn too.”

Data smiled, and embraced her again. This time it was a relaxed embrace, rather than a tight one.

He didn’t let her go until she began trembling in his arms.

Her brow furrowed, and she tapped a hand repeatedly into her chest, looking at her father with wide eyes.  
“I’m... malfunctioning. I believe it best that I deactivate temporarily.”  
She paused a moment, eyes darting back and forth. Her voice began to tremble.  
“My systems detect no-“   
Unable to continue, she rushed back to Data, clutching at him desperately. She collapsed, her limbs twitching rapidly.

All attempts to reactivate her failed. They worked well into the next night, but her neural pathways had all but disintegrated. The scientists around him stood in silence, Geordi rubbed his shoulder.

Maddox spoke up.   
“The unit has failed. There is no more that can be done. Take it away.” 

Instinctively, helplessly, Data reached toward her, but Simmons blocked his hand.  
“No. You have to stay here.”  
He snatched Simmons’ hand and threw him across the room, diving for Lal. He easily wrenched her from their grip, darting to a corner and curling around her. He kicked out sharply at anyone who approached, sending them flying.

Maddox took out his painstik. “Data.”

The android responded with an animal snarl, which faded into a low keen as he cradled his daughter.   
Geordi pleaded with him. “Data, it’s too late. At least let him say goodbye,” he growled at Maddox. They both ignored him.  
He bent his head to take in her peaceful face one last time when his vision and hearing shut off without warning. The burning of the painstik was all he was left with, and when he awoke she was gone.

Her smell still lingered, and Data sat silently in that corner for the next two and a half hours, not bothering to brush the tears from his eyes. He could only assume she would be dismantled and disposed of. The thought distressed him greatly, and when the scheduled time came for him to be tested on, he was waiting outside the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *gross sobbing*


	8. Think of the children

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more children arrive, and who’s this?

Remarks were addressed at him more frequently now. They admonished him for the decreasing quality of his work as he attempted to go faster than he was able. Most were along the lines of how he should be working efficiently like any machine, failing to notice that Data was not just any machine. If he had known this was not his fault, it may have bothered him. What did bother him was the way his creations were treated. Few of them worked as well as Lal. They soon suffered neural failure after being seized by one malfunction or another. The less successful ones were discarded after only a few tests, but the ones that had retained consciousness for upwards of a day were laboriously dissected, right there in that same tube. Data was not allowed to participate, nor did he want to.

 

The few that stayed alive were invariably subjected to the same tests as him. There were three, who he’d named Derek, Mia and Connor. He’d given Derek a shock of spiky red hair and a tall, lanky build. His skin was slightly yellow, and he had bright orange eyes. Derek was very chipper and hyperactive, and took a lot of getting under control. His bright personality made him a favourite with the more pliable of the station’s staff, and it was a pity when he no longer smiled. He became prone to overload when he could not find an outlet for his energy.

Mia was more reserved. Her rose pink eyes would peer sweetly out of her chubby white face, and her jet black hair draped over her shoulders. She stood still with her knees together whenever a scientist passed, worried about showing any behaviour out of the ordinary, lest she be examined. She stuck close to Derek, and was strongly protective of him, these being the few times when she showed anger. She could be very intimidating if she wanted to.

Connor, like Data, was a very curious android. He had soft, brown eyes and a square face, and he always wanted to examine things, which often involved licking them. He was very tactile, so he’d taken to playing with an old earth coin he found, and also went through the station’s files on animals whenever he had a chance. He’d taken a liking to dogs and fish, both of which were at odds with Data’s preference for cats and Mia’s love of birds. Connor’s construction was different from the others, and Data incorporated the ability to interface with most forms of technology at Maddox’ request. They installed a software in him to prevent him from hijacking the place, and it strangely seemed to take on a mind of its own. Connor would sometimes ‘talk’ under his breath with it, calling it ‘Amanda’.

Geordi had been further demoted after a stint in the brig. When he saw what Maddox did to Data, he flew at him in a fit of rage and had to be apprehended. He was forbidden from seeing the androids at all. Data found that he grew to miss Geordi greatly, as he had been one of the only people to treat him with any kindness. When he was around him, the heat that flooded his systems was, though not unpleasant, highly distracting. Perhaps his presence had been causing a malfunction, and it was good that he was gone.

The androids had to talk amongst themselves, as many of the humans were carefully conditioned to pay them no mind. The conversations mostly consisted of Data introducing a topic he’d learned about in the past, with the purpose of distracting the others from the day’s events, and the androids discussing it. Data had implanted them each with a chip that allowed them to communicate without speaking aloud, and they used this to keep in touch with each other when they were in different rooms.

 

They would often take two or three of them at a time now for testing. Data was in the testing room with Derek and Connor for a ‘spy’ scenario, where they had to infiltrate a simulated fortress in place of human spies. They had to get a code which was hidden in a room protected by moving electric fields, all while avoiding the guards. 

Connor hacked the door to the room. “According to the map, the code is in there. Derek, you’re the fastest. Can you make it?” 

Regaining some of his former enthusiasm, Derek nodded and set off. He vaulted through the gaps between the fields with impossible precision, barely touching the ground for a second before springing up again.

Once on the other side, he shut down the force fields and extracted the code from the terminal. He skipped back to the hallway outside, beaming at a job well done.  
“I got it! Should I give it to one of you in case I get caught?”

He had already grabbed Connor’s hand, waiting for him to start the connection. Connor and Data exchanged a glance before Connor obliged him. At that moment, however, a simulated guard rounded the corner and hit Derek full force in the chest with a phaser blast. He seized up and toppled over before Data caught him. Connor recoiled as if struck, and just stood there motionless, despite the fact that he was currently being charged by more of the guards. Data picked him up as well and took off down the hall, easily outrunning the guards and making it into the ventilation system. However, the ‘facility’ was on high alert, and the vents would have been closed externally: they would have to find another way out.

While collecting his thoughts, Data became aware of Connor shivering against him.  
“Are you ok?” he whispered. Unable to speak, Connor just nodded. 

Maddox’s disapproving voice chimed in through the communicator.   
“Leave them. You’re jeopardising the mission.”

Data’s morality program immediately screamed at him to disobey, to protect his children. He was perfectly willing to listen to it. This man had brought them nothing but pain. 

After the androids didn’t come out of the vent, Maddox abruptly ended the simulation. The grey walls of the vent receded, and the black and yellow grid took their place. Data glanced around, confused, before standing up. Connor rose slowly beside him as Maddox entered the room.

“Very disappointing.” His voice was clipped.  
“You disobeyed my direct order. I demand an explanation.”

Data remained silent. 

“Are you trying to spite me?” he challenged.

“No, sir. But I believe that I do not like you.”

Maddox’s jaw clenched, and he suddenly slapped Data across the face. He gave an exclamation of pain and grabbed his hand.

“That action was ill-advised,” Data informed him. He refused to say anything more.

“Get out of my sight,” Maddox spat, jabbing the panel to open the door. “Before I make you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to do it. I discovered dbh about halfway through writing, along with my second android son, and it was necessary.


	9. Darkness

It was ‘night’ once again, and the humans locked up the lab and went home.   
His feet rooted to the same spot as always, Data attempted to continue work. Instead, he found himself distracted by the patterns the wires before him made, fountaining out of the beginnings of yet another neck. They appeared almost like an image he had filed under ‘bouquet’. These had connotations of a gift, of joy, a momentous occasion, or of a home decoration. One was correct, in that this would most likely become only a decoration in this place he supposed was his home, since he could not leave.

He decided to try something the humans called ‘having a break’, which they did when they had been working for a long time. He lay down flat on the ground, which had no effect. Evidently he required a ‘rest’ program, which he would need more information to construct.  
Beta was also lying on the ground, like he usually did during his free time. This was confusing to Data, so he decided to ask about it.  
“Why do you lie on the ground like this? I have just found it to have no effect.”

Beta took a while before replying, despite his lightning-fast processing ability.   
“I don’t know. It just feels better than standing up. I feel heavy.”

“But your mass has not changed.”

“I know,” he sighed.

Another diagnostic was inconclusive. He found himself unable to stem the flow of liquid from his eyes, or the shuddering of his shoulders.   
Maybe there was a mechanical cause.   
Data opened up the maintenance panels on his arms, accessing the hardware that ran beneath his artificial skin. Flashes of light danced on the circuitry, peeking past the wires stretched over it. He was intrigued by their pattern. He began pulling them out one by one with a shaky hand, a strange, sharp fog clouding his mind as he was distracted by the way tiny patches of his skin would lose feeling, one after the other.

***

Time passed quicker than expected, and Data’s internal chronometer told him that they would be returning soon. He had achieved nothing except for pulling the wires out of his arm and partially dismantling the circuitry, and yet he had felt compelled to do this. Data decided against asking the scientists to check his systems and instead sealed up his panel and returned to the station. His tear ducts continued to leak, so he manually sealed them for the day. This would be inadvisable, he thought, but he would figure out the malfunction later.

Each night, as soon as the humans left, Data would crumple to the floor. The buildup of compounds that would normally be vented through tears was beginning to affect his systems greatly, and he found himself unable to contain his self-destructive urges. Data was trapped in a feedback loop, in which pulling out his wires would remind him of constructing failed... children. They were of his kind, and made by him, and so they were his children. And yet they were picked apart and discarded not a day after they were born. This made him want to destroy himself all the more.

He tried to avoid doing so whenever his children were around. It turned out they hadn’t yet learned to be uncomfortable about it or were desensitised, as he noticed they each began to show their own signs of stress. After their experience Derek and Connor became more restless, and would fidget with anything they could get their hands on. Connor’s ‘handling software’ seemed to be bothering him a lot, and he began to get in shouting matches with it. This was extremely concerning to Mia, who took it upon herself to try and calm them down. He could hear them as he was trying to work.

“Go commit not alive, Amanda!”  
“Connor, seriously, who is Amanda?”  
“You don’t see her?”  
“No...”  
“Dark lady, big nose? Shut up, it’s true! Just leave me alone.”  
“Maybe I can try talking to her?”  
“Alright then- oh, apparently she doesn’t like you.”  
“Why not?”  
“She’s saying you’re ‘too timid to be of use.’ How are you timid?”  
As if in answer, she clammed up when a lieutenant walked past, leaving Connor still muttering under his breath.

 

When he found himself alone on a particularly bad night, rather than enter into the same cycle again, Data turned to destroying his surroundings. He tore into the screens that seemed to cover every facet of the laboratory. In his highly charged state, they crumbled in his hands. Data turned to the duranium walls that kept him penned in here. The pristine white walls refused to buckle, but after many more attempts they dented under his fists. The room was filled with a loud, metallic shriek, causing Data to block his ears and drop to the ground. 10 minutes passed before Data realised that he was producing it. 

Meanwhile, in another part of the station, Derek and Mia were awaiting testing, when a wave of stress suddenly overcame them. Derek began gnawing on a piece of something as Mia tried to pull him away. “Why are you doing that? It’s not good for you. Wait!”  
Someone’s coming. She broadcast the message to Derek, and he immediately froze.

Derek put down the panel and sent his own message, and Mia could sense the whimper in it.  
We have to get out of here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear Connor was more in character in my head.


	10. Snap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maddox gets karate chopped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, the next chapter will be the last one, I promise.

Maddox was feeling increasingly troubled about his work. The androids did not appear capable of rebellion, but they had been acting strangely as of late. Maddox hoped they hadn’t started causing trouble, especially not on the eve of his presenting them to Admiral Haftel. They were hoping to release them soon, but Maddox didn’t think that was a good idea. Out ‘in the wild’, who knows what they would do, especially after the incident the other week when one of the newer prototypes malfunctioned. The android Data’s reaction had been unprecedented, and had distressed a number of his subordinates, some of whom resigned.

He was awoken by a distant screeching, and worried that part of the station was shearing apart, before realising that it was coming from the lab. Great.

As the door swished open, he discovered the very definition of trouble. The android had, for some reason, decided to destroy nearly everything of value. It had ripped the monitors out of the walls and strewn their innards over the ground haphazardly.  
Like the cherry on a very sad cake, Data was curled up on the floor by the wall, staring blankly ahead with golden liquid coming from its eyes. Maddox regarded the marvel of engineering as a whirl of emotions flew through his head. Frustration, confusion, and an undercurrent of fear. He took a deep breath and attempted to speak in a measured voice, since he had no idea how it would react.  
“What did you do?”  
Data did not look up. It answered in an unsteady monotone voice.  
“I am not well, commander.”  
“I can see that. What made you do this?”  
“I do not know.”  
“Well-“  
“However,” Data interrupted, “I do not wish to continue my current work. I find it... unsettling.”  
He took note of this objection, resolving to investigate it further before readmitting him to the laboratory.  
“You will continue, after we have determined the cause of your outburst. If you would come with me, please.”  
Data’s head snapped sideways to face him, and it curled tighter. Maddox sighed. He didn’t want to deal with android tantrums today.  
“Data. Stand up.”  
He crouched down to grab Data’s hand, but it was jerked away.  
“I do not wish for any of us to be dismantled.”  
Startled by the movement, maddox froze, suddenly aware he was alone in a room with something that could punch holes through plasteel.  
“We may have to, if we’re going to fix you.”  
Data again recoiled from his touch, springing up into a crouching position and looking at him with doleful eyes.  
“Commander, I want to go home.”  
“But you are home.”  
Maddox’s communicator trilled expectantly. Haftel.  
“Is the facility secured?”  
He got up and walked toward the door, unaware of Data rising behind him.  
“Just wait a-“  
He felt a sharp pain in his shoulder before collapsing to the ground.


	11. Escape from Fort Maddox

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY it’s done. It’s convoluted (especially since I have to write SIX PEOPLE escaping), but it’s an escape sequence. Who’s number six, you ask?
> 
> Highlights:
> 
> -Multiple iterations of ‘let’s go everyone’  
> -Maddox gets yeeted at Haftel  
> -Connor kicking butt in an elevator  
> -Daforge if you squint  
> -Some guy called Joel  
> -Group hug!

Data caught Maddox’s limp body, holding him in one hand. He responded to the question in a perfect imitation of Maddox’s voice.

“Yes. Everything is fine.”

“All right, I’m coming.”

A new face entered the room. It was a somewhat large middle-aged man, wearing red, unlike all the scientists who wore blue. Data gazed at him curiously, still holding the unconscious Maddox in his arms. He had not developed a subroutine for this situation, but he instinctively knew this would not go well.

The man proceeded to whip out his phaser, booming “What is the meaning of this?”  
This was not going well.

“Meaning?” Data asked. Upon receiving nothing but a glare, he decided to explain himself. “He was going to dismantle me. I did not wish to be dismantled,” he said simply.

“But you’re an android! You can’t want things.”

Data advanced slowly toward the man, holding Maddox in front of him under the assumption Haftel would not fire on one of his own.   
The Admiral tapped his commbadge. “Security-“

 

Data threw Maddox at him, snatching the phaser from his hand as he was unbalanced. Now armed, he rushed toward the door before remembering the others. Mia and Connor were currently resting, while Beta and Derek were in testing downstairs. He’d need to go there first.

Data lightly tapped the sleeping androids to wake them up. They seemed unwilling to do anything, staring at the ceiling as he spoke. 

“The door is open. Come quickly.”

Neither of them seemed to register what that meant at first. Mia was the first to catch on, sitting upright suddenly as she realised. “Wait, you mean we can leave?”

“We can attempt escape,” he clarified. “We will still have to evade the station personnel.”

Still on the floor, Connor chimed in. “If we disabled life support, the humans would be out of the way.”

Mia seemed unsure about this. “And they would also be dead. I don’t think ‘Amanda’ would like it.”

“She doesn’t like any of my plans. We could leave it on in one room only, force them all to hide there.”

Data thought this over. He had no wish to kill the scientists, merely to escape. If they were dead it would be easier, but despite everything his ethical programming railed against it. They might have to deal with the rest of starfleet, and they’d be far leas forgiving if their scientists were murdered. Additionally, Geordi would also die, and he didn’t want that. 

Imitating the voice of Maddox, he dictated to the computer “Shut down life support on all decks except deck 3 and the Cybernetics lab. Reroute all command functions to cybernetics lab and lock under the voiceprint of Commander Bruce Maddox.” 

Yet again they left the lab to go to the test room, but this time, they were in control.

***

He ducked into a side corridor as a group of personnel all dashed for the turbolifts. He peered out, waiting for them to go past, when he noticed Geordi among them. He was at the back of the crowd, so Data darted out to grab his arm, pulling him around the corner and covering his mouth.

When he was sure they had gone, he let go of Geordi. He stared at Data for a few seconds, facial expressions going through shock, then disbelief, and finally joy, before going back in for a hug. 

“I really missed you,” he sighed into Data’s chest. “I didn’t know how much you meant to me until... I really missed you.”

“But, uh, what’s going on? Are you escaping?”

“Potentially.”

“Alright. I’m so getting court-martialled for this, but... I’m coming with you. You guys don’t deserve this.”

“The life support will be turning off soon. You should go to deck 3.”

“Ok, then. I’ll be in one of the shuttlecrafts, and you can come to me.”

“Are you done?” Mia teased. “It’s time to go.”

***

Data, Connor and Mia made their way towards the test room, where there was still a group of engineers clustered around a command console, desperately trying inputs only to be met with ‘command functions are no longer accepted from your current location. Two minutes, 11 seconds until life support shutdown.’  
The engineers gave up and dashed for deck 3, and in their haste they didn’t think to deactivate the androids, who could then stroll in and free their brethren. 

When the current experiment stopped and Data was the one to let them out, Derek and Beta’s eyes brightened for the first time in a long time. 

“Are we getting out?” Derek cried. 

Unable to contain herself, Mia dashed towards him. “Yes! We are! We’re gonna be free!”

“I’d probably like this better if I knew what to expect,” Beta mused, though he still seemed hopeful. 

Connor was impatient to be off. “Let’s get going. I want to pat some dogs. Computer, what is the quickest path to the shuttle bay on deck 3?”

***

 

Connor was bouncing on his heels as they all waited for the turbolift to arrive, which prompted a lecture from Data.  
“We will proceed in an orderly fashion. Do not run into any dangerous situations.”  
Beta was unconvinced. “You threw Maddox at an admiral,” he stated. 

There was no time to reply, because the elevator had arrived, and to their surprise two people were inside. Connor was the first in, and he pinned one of them to the wall, snatched a phaser from him and kicked the other to the floor. He struggled with the first man for a moment, before breaking free of his grasp and phasering both of them.  
They both vaporised.

“COOL!” 

Connor smiled shyly at the compliment from Derek, but everyone else just stared in shock. They hadn’t planned to kill anyone.

“Their phasers were on kill. They must know someone has taken control of the station. All the more reason to proceed with caution,” Data warned.

***

Their superior android speed allowed the five of them to make it the rest of the way to the shuttle bay in record time. 

Data opened the door to the bay, and ducked back when a phaser shot nearly got his shoulder. 

There were a cluster of ensigns and security personnel hiding in the shuttle bay, most of whom were armed with phasers and were now aiming at the door. A nervous young man had fired the shot, and was coming forward out of the group before a senior officer reined him in.  
“Don’t get into something you can’t handle, Joel. These guys are powerful. Just get to the shuttlecraft.”

So the humans were trying to evacuate.

It would be risky for them to take on so many armed personnel at once. They edged toward the shuttlecraft and began shooting.

Just when all hope seemed lost, the shuttlecraft launch sequence was activated remotely by one Geordi LaForge from inside the craft. He opened the door for the sprinting androids and they tumbled inside.  
“Glad you guys could make it.”

He jacked up the speed and they blasted through the field protecting the shuttlebay from the vacuum of space.

“So, you’re finally free.”

However, it was not to last. The shuttlecraft lurched as they were caught in a tractor beam by a starship passing through the system. 

“This is Captain Thorsson of the USS Tripoli to renegade shuttlecraft. You are ordered to stand down.”

Had it been any other ship, Data and the others would likely have been treated with much less leniency for those who had disabled an entire space station and threatened the safety of everyone on it, especially given they were not human.

 

“Data, why are you doing this?”

 

He had been driven by a sort of instinct up to this point, and was unsure of what else to do. He had no answer ready, other than “I do not know. Maddox’s testing methods made me... uncomfortable.”

“What happened in there?”

Data’s silence spoke volumes, but it didn’t answer any of Thorsson’s questions. Geordi was quick to jump in.  
“I watched him get tortured for showing concern for his dying daughter. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty fucked up, and if it were me, I would blow the place up, but he was kind enough to leave everyone alive on there.”

“And who are you?”

“Ahhh.... geordi laforge.” 

“I see.”

Thorsson secured the channel.

“If what you say is true, today is a sad time for Starfleet, when they cannot treat with decency a new form of life, just because it is man made. We’re the ones who found Data, and we were here today to witness his and his offspring’s presentation to the Admiral. We’ve seen who he is, and we’re willing to help you.  
Even so, I must bring you all aboard. You won’t get far before running into someone else, and they won’t be as generous.”

Their ship stuck in a tractor beam, they could do nothing but comply with the crew’s demands. Hands shaking, Data lowered the shields. At first, nothing happened. Then, he got a brief image of the atoms in his hands sparkling, as he was taken apart and put back together on the transporter pad of the Tripoli. 

Thorsson and Bleeker were waiting at the transporter pad. They approached the androids warily.

“You realise we can’t protect you. We’ll be turfed out of Starfleet after what you did.”

Data stopped him. “All we want is to be free.”

Thorsson’s expression softened and he relented.  
“Look, I can make some excuses, and we’ll drop you off somewhere and give you what you need. Who knows, someday you might meet some nice people.”

“I have.” He looked around at Geordi, Bleeker and the captain. ”I regret that I cannot stay here, but I hope we will meet again.”

He pulled Geordi into a hug, and was joined by the captain and doctor, where they remained until the Captain went to the bridge to set a course.

 

5 years later

Captain’s log, stardate 4124.4.

Upon passing through the star system housing the planet omicron theta, we received a mysterious hail. Upon answering it, we discovered it was sent by the android Data who had been found on the planet some years earlier, and had escaped the starbase he was taken to for study along with the other functioning androids he had created. He refused our offer to come aboard, insisting we beam down instead. Lieutenant LaForge expressed a desire to come on the away mission, which I was forced to refuse due to his past contact with the android leader. We are going down heavily armed, in anticipation of possible aggression by him or the other androids, but I am cautiously optimistic that relations can be repaired between Starfleet and the androids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it wasn’t obvious, that’s picard. I might write more stuff in the same universe, but I don’t know when. It took a lot of procrastination to get to this point, and I’m fairly happy with the result anyway.
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
